Song Ho rushed madly toward Tsuma Tsukura, his speed almost melting the air around him. Tsuma stood firmly, calm and cold, his icy eyes staring at him as if he were merely slow motion moving before him.
Song Ho reached him, but Tsuma dodged the attack with unbelievable lightness. At the moment of evasion, a glowing purple aura appeared in his eyes, shining like distant stars in the silence of the night.
Song Ho's anger increased, a feeling of mockery filling his heart. He hadn't landed a single hit on Tsuma, hadn't even touched him, as if all his power was nothing more than a game of time. He raised his dagger toward Tsuma's right eye, but in an instant, Tsuma avoided the attack with astonishing ease, then spoke coldly:
"You're not bad, Song Ho. Truly, you're strong and deserve this title."
The blue aura around Song Ho exploded, filling the air around him. He became like a raging beast that wanted to kill anything in his path, even if it were a woman or an infant. He charged again, his strikes raining down relentlessly on Tsuma, but with his bare hands, Tsuma blocked every blow with unbelievable ease, without any noticeable effort.
They clashed, rushed, and smashed through the buildings of Seoul with tremendous force. The walls of hotels, hospitals, and companies shattered, dust rose, and glass scattered. Every strike from Song Ho was an attempt to use all his power, but he was only an SS-rank hunter, while Tsuma seemed completely unaffected.
They even entered a bedroom of a couple who had been kissing each other. Their hearts trembled; they feared the death looming before them. Song Ho's attacks were close, but Tsuma blocked them, protecting the innocents without hesitation, while Song Ho continued his blind violent assault.
The two left the room, flying through the air, embracing the void. From the 17th floor, their clash continued in the sky. Song Ho's dagger shone in his hand, and Tsuma blocked every strike, as if the buildings and the sky were part of their personal battlefield.
Tsuma muttered silently, with unshaken coldness:
'It seems this person is ready to kill innocent lives… what a monster.'
Then he used a small portion of his power. His fist moved toward Song Ho's stomach, sending his body flying through buildings until he crashed violently into the ground. He tried to stand, but Tsuma appeared before him again, his violet eyes glowing, a demonic aura surrounding his body.
Song Ho saw him — he was no longer just a human. He was a monster with human features, a demonic entity looming behind him in the shadows. His voice was weak, filled with pain:
"Who are you really, Tsuma?"
Tsuma glanced at Song Ho with a terrifying look that could kill any man. But he answered in a calm, mysterious voice:
"I don't know… I want to know who I am and the source of my power."
Then he asked, with eyes that knew no mercy:
"Is this power a blessing or a curse to you?"
Song Ho answered painfully:
"A blessing… that doesn't need a question."
"Wrong answer."
Tsuma grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. The air suffocated around them.
"It's time to go to prison, Song Ho."
Song Ho shouted weakly before closing his eyes:
"You bastard…"
In the next moment, he completely lost consciousness, and Tsukura was about to hand him over to the police, amid deadly silence after the overwhelming violence of the battle.
"What do you want from me?"
Riko and Ryu were sitting in a café at night in the middle of Seoul.
Ryu looked at Riko with clear hesitation before speaking.
"Can I ask you for a favor?"
Riko looked at him in surprise.
Ryu was acting strangely today, and he didn't know the reason.
"I want your help clearing five C-rank gates." he said in a loud voice.
Everyone in the café looked at them in surprise.
Ryu felt embarrassed, so he looked at them while laughing nervously.
Riko's voice cut through the awkward atmosphere:
"Alright, what will you give me in return?"
Ryu looked back at Riko and said:
"Brother, we are friends, and friends help each other without money or reward. Why are you asking me for this?"
Riko replied while looking at him with displeasure:
"Is there anything in this world without a price?"
"Why?" Ryu said in a desperate voice.
Riko responded, offering a deal:
"Then I only want five million in exchange for the five gates."
Ryu was shocked by the amount.
He knew his father, Rin, would not accept this offer.
Even though they were a wealthy family, they did not possess wealth that made this amount simple.
"Brother, it's hard for me to give you this amount. My father won't accept, and he'll probably kill me if he hears this number." he said, his face pale from shock.
Riko stood up from the chair calmly:
"Then the deal is rejected."
Riko moved toward the café exit.
"Stop!!" Ryu shouted loudly.
"I'll accept your deal."
Riko stopped, then looked behind him.
He saw Ryu sweating from excessive thinking.
Riko returned and sat in front of Ryu.
"Sit, Ryu. Let's agree. When will we clear the gates?"
Ryu sat slowly, tension still clear on him.
After an hour, they agreed on the time to clear the five C-rank gates.
Riko left the café quietly.
And after fifteen minutes, Ryu left as well.
End of Chapter (24)